This Week in SABR: November 15, 2013

Last Friday night, Rawlings announced that Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado and Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons were the winners of the 2013 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, presented by the Society for American Baseball Research. The winners were unveiled during the 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Ceremony presented by Gold Sport Collectibles at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, where the game's defensive stars accepted their hardware from some of the baseball's greatest legends.

Simmons won the closest vote yet in the 3-year history of the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, with first and third place separated by only 0.5 percent of the total vote. The second-year shortstop and first-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner edged St. Louis Cardinals catcher and 2-time defending Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winner Yadier Molina, 20.2 percent to 20.0 percent, with Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez finishing third with 19.7 percent.

This year marked the third presentation of the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award presented by the Society for American Baseball Research, and the first year where sabermetrics was integrated into the selection process. In the previous two years, the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners were selected solely by fans via an online vote on Rawlings' website. The international fan vote remains an essential component to determine the Award winner.

"When we launched the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award fan inclusion platform in 2011, we knew that baseball fans worldwide followed all aspects of the game," said Kurt Hunzeker, senior director of brand marketing for St. Louis-based Rawlings. "They see the great plays on the field and follow with the same level of avidity the advanced statistics that highlight all factors that go into making a great play in the field. Their selection of Manny and Andrelton - the sabermetrically best defenders in baseball this year - as 'The Finest in the Field' only amplifies our new collaboration with SABR as an immediate and resounding success."

Both players led numerous defensive metrics categories, including the SABR Defensive Index (SDI). Machado's 32.4 SDI led all of baseball, with Simmons' 29.3 SDI pacing the National League. The SDI accounted for approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process.

"It's exciting to see the convergence of defensive metrics and fan voting," said Vince Gennaro, president of SABR and chair of the SABR Defensive Committee. "It shows that technology is allowing us to improve our measurement and that these measures are influencing fans' choices."

Voting began at the conclusion of the 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Announcement Show presented by American Airlines on ESPN2's "Baseball Tonight" on October 29 and ran for one week. Fan discussion surrounding the Award on social media was fostered in part by some teams' open campaigning for their nominee. ESPN's Karl Ravech and SABR's Gennaro announced the winners live on stage during the Hollywood award show format.

Molina and Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre each won the two previous Rawlings Platinum Glove Awards in each League.

Beginning in 2013, the SABR Defensive Index is used to help select the winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, which is presented by SABR.

The SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. The three metrics representing batted ball data include Defensive Runs Saved from Baseball Info Solutions, Ultimate Zone Rating developed by noted sabermetrician Mitchel Lichtman, and Runs Effectively Defended built by SABR Defensive Committee member Chris Dial. The two metrics included in the SDI originating from play-by-play data are Defensive Regression Analysis, created by committee member Michael Humphreys, and Total Zone Rating.

The SABR Defensive Index accounts for 30 total “votes” — or approximately 25 percent of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process — that was added to the votes from the managers and coaches.

Rawlings revealed the revised selection process overview in March as part of its new collaboration with SABR. Since that announcement, SABR enlisted an independent committee of experts in baseball analytics and defensive measurement to devise the SDI. The SABR Defensive Committee includes:

Committee chair Vince Gennaro, SABR President and author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball

Major League Baseball's A-listers will take home 2013 GIBBY trophies — the ultimate honors of the industry's awards season — based on votes by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni, fans at MLB.com and SABR.

SABR's 63 regional chapters cover 34 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.; plus international chapters in Canada (Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia), Japan, South Korea, Latin America and the United Kingdom. For a list of all SABR chapters, visit SABR.org/chapters. A calendar of upcoming SABR meetings can be found at SABR.org/events.

Announcements: To sign up for chapter email announcements and receive instant notification of upcoming SABR events in your area, click here to select from the list of chapters, then click "Join Group" () at the top of the chapter page. All SABR members are eligible to sign up for announcements from any chapter.

Find your regional chapter: Does your area have a regional chapter of its own? If not, it's easy to organize a new chapter — all you need is an interested group of SABR members. Click here for details.

Those of you who receive the print edition should find your BRJ arriving in the next two to three weeks. For electronic subscribers, the e-book edition was delivered to your inboxes on Thursday morning.

Here's a note from BRJ editor Cecilia Tan about the new issue:

SABR’s publications program has had various periodicals over the decades, including not only the BRJ, but also The National Pastime (aka TNP), The SABR Review of Books, and others. I was surprised to hear some members tell me they thought that in the past the BRJ was for novice researchers and TNP was for the seasoned pros. A more common, lingering perception is that The National Pastime was for history and the Baseball Research Journal was for stats.

Since I took the editorial seat in 2011, the BRJ has included plenty of both history and stats, not to mention physics, economics, psychology, game theory, sociology, and physiology. Historical topics have ranged from the Negro Leagues to international women’s baseball to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with healthy doses of the minor leagues, college baseball, and nineteenth-century ball served alongside major league history. SABR’s thousands of members are knowledgeable in so many fields, it’s only a matter of time before some architecture, materials science, or meteorology comes across my desk, too.

Remember, if you’re a SABR member, the BRJ wants to see your research. Query me first at ctan@sabr.org and I’ll send you some guidelines and happily dispense advice.

For those of you whose SABR memberships expire on December 31 — that is, anyone who joined before August 2012; you can check your current membership status here — it's almost time for you to renew. We're excited about the upcoming year ahead of us and we hope you'll take advantage of all the great membership benefits offered to SABR members in 2014. Here's a short list:

You can renew your membership for 1 year or 3 years online at the SABR Store; by phone at (602) 343-6450; or by mailing this downloadable PDF form and your payment to the SABR office at 4455 E. Camelback Road, Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

Dues are the same as they have been in recent years: for this, you get two editions of the Baseball Research Journal, the expanded e-book edition of The National Pastime; 6-8 free e-books published by the SABR Digital Library; "This Week in SABR" every Friday; access to research resources such as Paper of Record (with complete archives of The Sporting News); discounts to all SABR conferences such as the National Convention (Houston 2014), the SABR Analytics Conference, the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, and the Frederick Ivor-Campbell 19th Century Conference; discounts to MLB.TV, the MLB.com Store and much, much more.

We believe SABR has something for everyone, from the active researcher to someone passionate about baseball. We hope you'll invite your friends, colleagues and family members to join at http://store.sabr.org.

Unlike many nonprofit organizations that hold monthly donation pledge drives and continually solicit donations, SABR has never been proactive about asking for donations. However, like all other nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations, SABR relies heavily on generous donations to supplement its membership dues and help the organization survive and prosper. We appreciate those members who have given in the past and continue to donate to SABR. As SABR continues to serve its members and move forward with exciting new member opportunities, we are going to become more proactive by asking our passionate and knowledgeable members to support their very special organization.

All donations to SABR are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We thank you for supporting SABR and baseball research in all its forms.

SABR has a long and storied history with baseball statistical analysis, evidenced by the link between our name and sabermetrics. While SABR is a multi-faceted organization involved in virtually every aspect of baseball, we have taken a major step to re-connect with our beginnings by producing and hosting the third annual:

Once again, we're bringing together the top minds of the baseball analytic community under one roof to discuss, debate and share insightful ways to analyze and examine the great game of baseball.

The schedule will consist of a combination of Guest Speakers, Panels and Research Presentations — plus the unique Diamond Dollars Case Competition, in which undergraduate, graduate and law school students from across the country analyze and present a real baseball operations decision.

Early registration rates: — SABR members: $395 early rate; $595 full rate. — Non-SABR members: $495 early rate; $695 full rate. If you are not a SABR member, click here to join. — Students: $350; includes one-year membership to SABR. Must be a currently enrolled high school or college student. Please e-mail Deb Jayne with a photocopy of your student ID to receive the registration promo code.

Please note: Lunch is included with your registration on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15. The mixer/welcome reception is included with your registration on Thursday, March 13. Specify any special dietary needs when you register.

Complimentary wireless Internet is available in all rooms booked under the SABR block. The cutoff date to book your room is February 18, 2014. The SABR group rate is only available for the nights of March 10 to March 18, 2014, based on availability. Book your room today!

Some of the topics we are planning to cover include:

General Managers Panel on how analytics shapes front-office decisions

Player Panel - how major league players take advantage of analytics

Biometrics/Injury Prevention Panel NEW!

International Baseball Panel NEW!

Baseball Scouting Panel NEW!

Check back soon at SABR.org/analytics as we announce more featured speakers, panels and presentations!

With generous funding from The Anthony A. Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to four scholarships to college students who wish to attend the 2014 SABR Analytics Conference on March 13-15, 2014, in Phoenix, Arizona. This scholarship will pay for registration, air transportation and lodging up to a total value of $1,250.

The objective of this scholarship fund is to encourage student engagement with baseball analytics, and to engender an active interest in baseball research and SABR. The Yoseloff scholarship is to assist young researchers who want to attend SABR's Analytics Conference and to introduce them to fellow SABR members and professionals within the baseball community. Through this fund, SABR hopes to inspire future baseball research, expose students to high-quality research and build the research capability of interested students.

To apply, submit an essay of 750 words or less answering the following questions: "How does attending this conference help you in analytics and/or baseball research? Why would this conference be beneficial for you to attend?" Style guidelines are available on the application form.

Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Some form of age verification (photocopy of driver’s license, passport, etc.) must be attached to your application.

Submissions must include a brief letter of recommendation from a current high school/college teacher, guidance counselor or a school administrator. All applications must be postmarked or e-mailed to Jeff Schatzki at jschatzki@sabr.org no later than December 31, 2013.

Editor's note: This game summary is from the Retroactive All-Star Game Project. Voting was conducted to select retroactive MLB All-Star teams from the 1920 season and the games were simulated using Out of the Park 14.

In the fourth battle of stars in the annual All-Star Game that began in 1916, the American League embarrassed the Nationals in front of a Boston crowd that saw its second All-Star contest in as many years. The Braves Field throng saw the junior circuit jump out to a 2-0 first inning lead and cruise to a 6-0 beating highlighted by the play of Indians catcher Steve O'Neill, who rapped out three hits, scored three times and drove home another.

The series is now tied at 2-2 and rumor has it that next year's game will be played at Cleveland's Dunn Field next year, named for Indians owner James C. Dunn, who has assured officials and fellow magnates that his yard will be ready to accommodate a crowd that could be double what his plant can currently hold.

Highlights and outstanding players from this year's game include:

The aforementioned Steve O'Neill, who joins four others in the three-hit club, including teammate Ray Chapman, who holds the single game record with five.

George Sisler going 2 for 5 with a double and a run.

Babe Ruth going 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs and making a leaping catch at the left field wall that robbed a hit.

Cy Williams going 2 for 3 with a double for the National League in a losing effort.

Jack Quinn allowing only two hits in three shutout innings to earn the win.

The new George Michael SABR Pictorial History Award will be granted by SABR's Pictorial History Research Committee for significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of historical baseball imagery.

George Michael was a nationally known sportscaster, as well as a longtime SABR member and baseball photo collector. He specialized in the analyses of early- to mid-20th century game action scenes (particularly ones that included players sliding), showing remarkable skill in determining the date of the game and even the particular play within the game, along with the identification of the players and umpires present.

He combined all that with an excellent presentation style, as can be seen in:

His influence can be seen in photo analysis articles that have subsequently appeared in the Pictorial History Committee’s own newsletters, as well as pieces in the Baseball Research Journal and The National Pastime.

The George Michael Award will be bestowed when merited and thus not necessarily given every year. Recipients will be selected by consensus of the Pictorial History committee chairs. The first winner of the award will be announced in the next committee newsletter.

Larry Ritter Award, due 12/31/2013: Each year, SABR’s Deadball Era Committee presents the Larry Ritter Book Award to recognize the best new book primarily set in the Deadball Era that was published during the previous calendar year. The award is presented during the committee’s meeting at the annual SABR convention. If you have a book to nominate with a 2013 publication date, contact Gail Rowe at growes36@comcast.net by December 31, 2013.

SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards, due 1/15/2014: The SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards recognizes baseball researchers who have completed the best work of original analysis or commentary during the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Contemporary Baseball Analysis, Contemporary Baseball Commentary, or Historical Baseball Analysis/Commentary. Results are announced and presented at the annual SABR Analytics Conference. Please send all nominations via e-mail to this address: 2014-analytics-awards@sabr.org. Include author, title, date of publication and a URL link (if applicable).

SABR Baseball Research Award, due 1/31/2014: The SABR Baseball Research Award (formerly the Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award) honors those whose outstanding research projects completed during the preceding calendar year have significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball. To submit a nomination for the 2013 awards, please contact Bill Felber at bfelber@att.net.

The March 1907 suicide of popular Boston player-manager Chick Stahl is a matter shrouded in misunderstanding. More than 50 years after the fact, author Al Stump asserted that Stahl’s death was prompted by the blackmail threats of a designing woman supposedly carrying Stahl’s unborn child. Since then, baseball historians have uncritically accepted the Stump claim. This essay presents an alternative theory, and one, unlike Stump’s, supported by evidence in the historical record. Chick Stahl’s suicide was the end product of longstanding, chronic depression, a thesis that I first offered in Mysteries from Baseball’s Past (McFarland, 2010). The text below provides additional support for that contention and can be viewed as a supplement to my previous commentary in Mysteries.

Charles Stahl was born on January 10, 1873 in Avilla, Indiana, but Fort Wayne was considered his hometown. His parents were devout Roman Catholics of German heritage. Chick became a member of the Boston Beaneaters in 1897. How does one assess his major league career (1897-1906)? A perspective can be gained by comparing him to Thurman Munson (1969-1979). Significant parallels exist in terms of length of career, offensive statistics, and defensive abilities. These two Midwesterners were not the greatest ballplayers of their respective eras but they were certainly in the top echelon. Lastly, their untimely deaths cut their careers short and probably prevented them from accumulating the numbers required to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

In 1901, Chick jumped to the American League. The Boston Americans franchise was a successful one, winning the World Series in 1903 and repeating as league champions in 1904. The team’s fortunes then took a precipitous fall. The 1906 club was ravaged by poor play and dissension, highlighted when player-manager Jimmy Collins went AWOL. Stahl took over the managerial reins but the team finished with 105 losses.

Bios on more than just ballplayers: The ambitious goal of the SABR Baseball Biography Project is to publish a full-life biography of every major league player in history. But SABR members write about a lot more than just ballplayers. In addition, we have pages for Ballparks, Broadcasters, Executives, Managers, Scouts, Spouses, Umpires and a lot more on the BioProject website. You can browse all of these categories at http://sabr.org/bioproj/browse. So if you've ever thought, "Hey, that person (or ballpark) should get the full BioProject treatment" — write the story and we'll publish it!

Get involved! If you'd like to help contribute to the SABR BioProject, visit our BioProject Resources page or read the FAQs section to get started. We're also looking to expand the BioProject to include all "encyclopedic" articles on baseball-related subjects from past SABR publications or committee newsletters. If you come across an article you think should be included in the SABR "baseball repository" at the BioProject, send a copy or link to markarmour04@gmail.com or jpomrenke@sabr.org.

We've heard your feedback: Some of you have said you look forward to "This Week in SABR" every Friday, but sometimes there are just too many compelling articles and announcements to read every week. We're not complaining — hey, keep up the great work! — but we know the feeling. So in an effort to make the length of this newsletter more manageable to read, we'll summarize some of the repeating/recurring announcements in a special "In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)" section of "This Week in SABR".

Here are some major headlines from recent weeks that we don't want you to miss:

There were no new SABR research committee newsletters published this week.

Umpires and Rules: We are pleased to welcome Perry Barber as the new co-chair of the Umpires and Rules Committee. Perry is one of very few women to have umpired major league spring training games in the United States, and is the only woman as of 2013 to umpire major league exhibitions in both the United States and Japan. She assembled the first (and so far, only) four-woman crew to umpire a major league spring training game in 2008, and when she's not umpiring in the Cape Cod League, working international tournaments in Taiwan and Hong Kong, or spreading the gospel of umpiring to the next generation of male and female umpires, she travels the world speaking to diverse audiences and writing about the rewards of umpiring for her blog, "Dishing It... and Taking It, Too," while working on an upcoming book about her unusual and far-flung career. She is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, having opened concerts for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, and David Brenner, as well as a former Jeopardy! champion.

Korea Chapter approved: The SABR Board of Directors has approved the formation of the Korea Chapter, based in Seoul, South Korea. The chapter co-chairs are Patrick Bourgo and Thomas St. John. Click here for more details.

SABR 29 convention journal now an e-book: The Flame Delhi Chapter has republished the SABR 29 convention journal, Mining Towns to Major Leagues: A History of Arizona Baseball (1999) as an e-book and has made it available for purchase at the chapter's website, SABRAZ.org.

This Week in SABR is compiled by Jacob Pomrenke, and sent out to all SABR members on Fridays. All previous editions of This Week in SABR can be found here: http://sabr.org/content/this-week-in-sabr-archives. If you would like us to include an upcoming event, article or any other information in "This Week in SABR", e-mail jpomrenke@sabr.org.

Did you know you can renew your membership at any time? 1- and 3-year SABR memberships are available by clicking "Renew" at http://members.sabr.org. Please also consider a donation to SABR to support baseball research at SABR.org/donate.

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